Last time for seniors

Saturday will be an emotional afternoon for senior guard Shantia Grace.

The Bulls will honor seven seniors on Senior Night at the Sun Dome after the USF women’s basketball team (19-9, 6-8) hosts Cincinnati (13-14, 3-11) at 2 p.m.

Perhaps the most notable member of this year’s graduating class is Grace, who eclipsed 1,800 career points in a 76-69 win over DePaul on Tuesday night, making her the third-highest scorer in USF women’s basketball history.

“I want to play hard,” Grace said. “I want to win in front of my friends and my family.”

Coach Jose Fernandez said he hopes to fill the Sun Dome to give his seniors a lasting memory.

“We want to invite everybody to Senior Night on Saturday,” Fernandez said. “We’re honoring a lot of kids that have had good careers here at South Florida.”

The Bearcats enter in last place in the Big East, and the Bulls are looking for a win to help their NCAA tournament chances. A victory would bring them to 20 on the season. Fernandez said the team needs 22 wins to get a bid into the tournament.

That means the Bulls need to win against Villanova (17-11, 9-5) on Monday and get a victory in the Big East Tournament.

USF has played better on the road than at home, winning four of its last six away games, but Grace said playing in a familiar setting will help the team’s chances.

“I’m happy to have been here all four years,” Grace said. “To be able to play my last game at the Sun Dome is a great feeling.”